


Cooperative Assistance in the Formation of Romantic Relationships

by abigaillecters



Category: Community
Genre: Blind/Blonde, Drabble, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-03-12
Updated: 2013-03-12
Packaged: 2017-12-05 01:28:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,355
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/717294
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/abigaillecters/pseuds/abigaillecters
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Annie Edison, a blind surgeon at Greendale County Hospital wants to go out with the cute, new doctor named Abed Patel, but she needs help from her friend and right-hand woman, Britta Perry.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Cooperative Assistance in the Formation of Romantic Relationships

**Author's Note:**

> fulfilling a prompt for xjournal on tumblr. the character of Dr. Patel is meant to slightly resemble Abed Nadir but he is *NOT* Abed Nadir. and maybe i'll write the actual date part when im less busy with school/college stuff? Thank

"Okay, don't look now but Dr. Patel is staring at you," said Britta as she and Annie sat in the hospital cafeteria, picking at their unremarkable salads.

"Britta, did you really just tell me not to look ?" replied Annie, a sly smile spreading across her face.

"Yeah, sorry about that. But anyway, Dr. Patel has been staring at you since he sat down. He's totally into you!" Britta chatted away excitedly.

Annie cocked her head to the side. "You think?"

Britta nodded enthusiastically.

"Uhhh, Britta, I asked you a question?"

"Oh, right, sorry. Geez, I've been your aide how long and I'm still messing up. Anyway, I know he's into you. There's no way he isn't. You're beautiful and you're the most brilliant surgeon they have in this entire damned hospital," as forgetful as Britta could be, she sure did know how to reassure people. 

As soon as Britta finished her sentence, Dr. Patel had taken his own salad, stood up, and made his way across the cafeteria to the table where Annie and Britta were sitting.

"Oh my god!"

"What, what's happening?!" Annie exclaimed.

"He's coming over here! Act natural!" 

Annie and Britta tried to look like they were engrossed in conversation. Tried being the operative word.

"Hello ladies" greeted Dr. Patel as he flashed an alarmingly brilliant smile which, sadly, Annie would most likely never see with her own eyes.

"Hi Dr. Patel! What brings you over to this corner of the cafeteria?" Annie asked nervously.

"Uh, actually, I came over here because I had something I wanted to talk to Dr. Edison about."

Annie swallowed hard.

"I was wondering, maybe, one night, when you're not working if you'd like to have dinner with me?" from the sound of Dr. Patel's voice, he was nervous too.

Britta tried to contain her excitement but, being Britta, she accidentally squealed a bit as her hands immediately flew up to cover her mouth. Luckily, Dr. Patel wasn't bothered by Britta's enthusiasm. He was a genuinely nice guy.

Annie was finally able to register what was actually happening and speak to him, her hand squeezing Britta's under the table.

"Uh, yeah! Yeah, I'd really like that. But I have one request"

"I'm listening" he had an adorable half-smile on his face.

"I would like to have a casual dinner. A diner. Cheeseburgers and fries and milkshakes. I really don't need anything fancy" she tucked an errant strand of hair behind her ear.

The half smile on Dr. Patel's face grew into a full on grin.

"That sounds awesome. I'll pick you up at 7 on Thursday? I mean I have clinic that day but I'll be able to go home and shower and change first but yeah, Thursday!"

"Sounds like a plan, Dr. Patel-"

Before she could say anything else, the shrill beeping of Dr. Patel's pager filled their corner of the cafeteria. He shrugged his shoulders, smiled apologetically and stood up.

"And please, call me Abed" he kissed her cheek.

Annie felt her face grow hot and a smile spread across her lips. 

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!" Britta was practically leaping out of her seat in joy.

"Britta! Shh! The whole cafeteria doesn't need to know my business" she was trying to sound stern but she couldn't help but laugh. 

"Annie! Are you kidding?! The doctor you've been pining away wants to take you on a date, this is huge! This is better than that time I got to go backstage with Radiohead, okay maybe not *that* great but you get the picture" 

"Britta! Focus! I need help" Annie's smile had faded when she realized she'd actually have to go on the date. Dating really wasn't Annie's strong suit. Medicine, studying, surgery, bedside manner...those were Annie's strong suits. Dating? Well lets just say that on one date she had started talking about gross anatomy lab and it hadn't gone well to say the least.

"What could you possibly need my help with?" Britta asked.

"Dating! Duh-doy"

"Number one rule: don't talk about gross anatomy lab, even if your date is a doctor" Annie sighed reluctantly.

"I think I can do that. What else do I need to know? What if he doesn't talk? What if he tries to touch me? What if it bothers him that I'm blind?" Annie was breaking.

"Well, obviously it doesn't bother him that you're blind since he asked you out in the first place. And I can't possibly answer all of your questions in the five minutes we have left of lunch break before you need to go to the OR and scrub up," Britta laid a hand reassuringly on Annie's shoulder.

"Britta, can I ask you a huge favor?"

"Sure!"

"Will-will you come on my date with me? I mean we have contingency plans for everything else, why not this?"

"I'd be happy to. But if you could kindly ask me to leave *before* you two start making out, that'd be awesome" Britta chuckled.

"Britta!" Annie smiled. She was happy. She had a career she loved, a cute guy she was going on a date with, and a best friend that would do anything to help her.

"Annie! He's here! Do you need zipping up?" It was Thursday evening. Zero hour.

"No, I got it" Annie was surprisingly self-sufficient. She had to be considering she had only met Britta during their first year of medical school. She had had 21 years by herself.

Annie heard the click of the lock on the door and its opening.

"Hello, Britta it's great to see you. Is she ready?" The top two buttons on his shirt were undone so that he could breathe easily. He was nervous too.

"One minute, Abed! I'll be right out!" Annie's voice was shaky and it sounded as if she was standing up against her door but didn't quite have the courage to open it.

"Is she usually like this?" 

"Not really. Then again, she doesn't go on very many dates with cute guys that she likes."

Abed blushed.

Before Abed could say anything- "B-Britta! Can you come in here!" the door knob on Annie's door was twisting around like crazy.

Britta rushed into Annie's room to find her sitting on the floor, next to her bed.

"Annie, whats wrong? You were fine when I checked on you a minute ago"

Hot tears sprung up in Annie's large eyes. "It just hit me all of a sudden. What if he can't handle me? What if he wants me to tell him how good he looks in something and I can't do that because I can't see? What if this turns into something real and he gets tired of having to hold my hand everywhere and take care of me when I'm at home and-"

Britta put a finger to her lips. "Annie, you're just nervous. I promise, none of that will happen. Abed already likes you and he's going to love you because I love you and so does everyone at the hospital. You are better than a Radiohead concert, okay?" Britta smiled reassuringly.

"Okay" Annie wiped the tears away and stood up, confident and ready to go on a date with the cutest Pediatric surgeon at Greendale County Hospital.

A minute later Britta and Annie emerged from Annie's room, Britta holding Annie's hand tight.

"Hello again ladies" Abed smiled.

"She's all yours" Britta said as she took Annie's hand out of hers and placed it into Abeds.

"Hi, Annie. You look magnificent" as he spoke, Annie reached up and laid a hand on Abed's cheek. She could feel the corners of his mouth turn up into that brilliant smile she had heard so much about.

"Thank you" she blushed.

"Ready to go get some cheeseburgers and catch a movie?" he asked, his hand holding hers tighter.

"I've been ready"

"Okay"

"Okay"

"Why don't you kids go ahead and I'll meet you there. I'll give you two your privacy" Britta couldn't help but smile to herself as she looked at Annie, finally ready to move on to a new stage of her life.

"Okay" Annie and Abed said in unison.


End file.
